In August in New Mills the wildlife has seemed eerily quiet. Even the Merlin App is only picking up a handful of birds, mostly magpie, jackdaw, wrens, goldcrest, and the occasional lonely chiffchaff, and an abundance of long tailed tits. The kingfisher flashes past every so often, as does the dipper, but I’ve not got a photo of them this month. The kestrels seem to be doing well, and are frequently hunting, or perched up on the overhead cables.
It has been a good month for insects though, such as these beautiful grasshoppers, and there are still plenty of stunning butterflies and ladybirds. The swifts seem to have gone, they often leave in August to head back to Africa, after they have nested and raised their chicks. That is a heck of a flight for a fledgling! The familiar sweet songs of Blackcaps have gone too, they tend to return to the Mediterranean after breeding, but some do now spend winter here too as it gets warmer.
I have seen quite a few bats recently which is great (but I have not mastered low light photography yet so I have no photos of those). I have heard the owls again too, which I had not heard for a long time. Keep looking and listening for wildlife!
John Kitching
Photos from New Mills Wildlife Photography
Photos from New Mills Wildlife Photography
